


That time that Alex Rider was the Elf on the Shelf

by DaniWib



Category: Alex Rider (TV 2020), Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Elf on the Shelf, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28245999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniWib/pseuds/DaniWib
Summary: Inspired by Valak’s fluffy discord story about Alex spreading Christmas magic to children in his street.Merry Christmas everyone. Sending wishes that you are able to find joy in this unusual holiday season.
Relationships: Alex Rider & Jack Starbright
Comments: 1
Kudos: 30





	That time that Alex Rider was the Elf on the Shelf

Alex needed money for Christmas gifts and had an idea. He went to all the parents in his street with a proposal. For a small fee and modest expenses budget, he would go to their house each night and move their Elf on the Shelf around. The parents wouldn’t need to worry about having to stay up past their very excited children each night, or about remembering to actually move the darn elf, and he would earn some sorely needed cash. 

He enlisted Smither’s help, who loved the whole idea. Smither’s helped Alex put wire inside all the Elves arms and legs, and white Velcro on their gloves, giving them all new capabilities of moving and holding objects. He also supplied tiny listening devises that Alex installed inside each elf cap, linked to a recording app on his phone. When the children whispered their Christmas dreams to their elf, Alex was listening. When they expressed doubt in their belief, Alex made the Elf do something that thrilled the children and helped the older ones keep believing in the magic of Christmas just that little bit longer. 

One night each child’s knickers were strewn over their Christmas tree like very unusual ornaments.  
Bottles of milk were coloured green and flavoured with peppermint.  
Scenes from famous Christmas movies were reenacted - the night he did the syrup covered spaghetti scene from Elf was a huge hit.

Of course the Elf is supposed to monitor children’s behaviour and report back to Santa each night. Sometimes various children would misbehave, and the next day would find their Elf sitting in their tree with its back turned to them, a small sign saying “Elf on Strike, until you behave” next to it. This usually helped them correct their behaviour without any further intervention needed - except for one boy. 

8 year old Bobby was a good lad at heart. He tried his best at school and at home, but sometimes he just couldn’t anymore. It was like he was full of fizzy beans that kept bubbling around inside him and he just had to let them out. It was hard for him to concentrate on anything for too long. School work was easy and he was bored a lot of the time. So he acted out. Notes would be sent from school, he’d be sent to his room and there he was, bored again. As an only child, and clever enough to suspect it was his parents moving the Elf, he decided to catch them in the act one way or another. 

The first time he was in trouble, he got the Elf on Strike card. The second time, all his PS4 game disks vanished from their cases, and reappeared hanging on festive coloured tinsel like a curious Christmas banner between the two street lights outside his house, a note saying he’d get them back when his behaviour improved.  
When he set up his iPhone video to record his Elf move, it didn’t work - but the Elf took selfies of itself sitting next to a sleeping Bobby, eating the chocolates from his Advent calendar.  
Bobby became a true believer after the night that the Elves used Christmas wrapping paper to gift wrap every car in the street. He knew that his parents would never do such a thing. Bobby’s behaviour improved so dramatically that he was awarded Student of the Week, something that had never happened before. His eyes shone with pride in himself as he showed the award to his Elf, who that night left him his very own special Christmas ornament - a tiny Elf on the Shelf to hang on his tree. 

Alex let each parent know the special wishes their children had whispered to their Elf. He always kept one small wish back though, and on Christmas Eve he left a small gift of his own for each child, an extra gift from Santa and his Elves for each child in his street. That year, all the children and parents in the street agreed it was the best Christmas ever. 

Amongst the Christmas cards that Alex received were notes from Smithers & K Unit asking if they could help again next year. K Unit had had great fun helping Alex wrap all the cars in the street, it was a good practise for their stealth & teamwork skills.

On Christmas morning Alex and Jack sat in their lounge room opening gifts and drinking hot chocolate. Jack’s eyes opened wide when she opened the simple envelope Alex had given her, and saw two tickets to America inside. She hugged Alex tightly, tears glimmering in her eyes and asked him how he had managed it. 

“Santa’s Elves helped me.” Alex said with a smile, hugging her back. All was right in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Valak’s fluffy discord story about Alex spreading Christmas magic to children in his street. 
> 
> Merry Christmas everyone. Sending wishes that you are able to find joy in this unusual holiday season.


End file.
